Who hires yard professionals

Sometimes there just isn't enough time in the day. Sometimes our patience runs thin.Sometimes we don't have the expertise to do what needs to be done.

Taking care of a yard doesn't just mean mowing and weeding. A Harris Interactive study, completed in February 2013 (for PLANET), shows that consumers are planning to increase spending on hardscapes (outdoor kitchens, patios, decks, water features, and walkways) and other specialized services (irrigation and lighting).

Sometimes we just need to hire someone to do what needs to be done in our yards.

And,according to the study, it is the younger adults, ages 18 to 34, who are most likely to have hired professionals for the building of outdoor living spaces, patios, and walkways over the past year.

"Eighteen to 34 year olds might be more digitally connected than their parents, but they are still putting a high priority on outdoor entertainment areas," states Hickman. "They are looking to landscape professionals to take on work that is not only time-consuming, but also requires a high degree of expertise to be done well."

While some of people enjoy a bit of exercise taking care of the yard, many hire a professional for lawn and landscape services. The study shows that the top reasons to hire help are that people: don't have 'the knowledge, skills or physical ability;' and don't have 'the right equipment' to do the landscape work themselves.Â

Interestingly, younger adults (18 to 34) were more likely than their older counterparts to say that they 'don't have the patience' as a reason to hire a professional.

Here are some more demographics about those who hire yard care professionals.

U.S. adults in the South (86 percent ) and Midwest (87 percent) are more likely than those in the Northeast (80 percent) and the West (79 percent) to have a lawn or landscape.

Young adults, age 18-34, are significantly more likely to not have a lawn or landscape (23 percent) than adults 35 and over (14 percent).

Divorced/Separated/Widowed adults (44 percent) are more likely than Married (34 percent) or Single/Never Married adults (34 percent) to have hired a professional to do any of the lawn or landscape services.

Overall 34 percent state they have hired a professional in the past year for at least one of the following listed lawn/landscaping services.

Eighteen percent of these adults hired professional services for landscape maintenance/care, such as mowing, edging, leaf clean-up.

Sixtenn percent hired professional services for lawn care (e.g., application of fertilizer and weed control products).

Eleven percent hired professional services for tree care.

Seven percent hired professional services for landscape services which could include design and/or installation such as planting shrubs, trees, flowers, mulching, etc.

Five percent hired professional services for building of patios, decks, walkways or outdoor kitchens.

Older adults age 55+ are more likely than other age groups to have hired a professional in the past year for general upkeep services such as landscape maintenance/care, such as mowing, edging, and leaf clean up or lawn care (e.g., application of fertilizer and weed control products)

Younger adults 18-34 are more likely than other age groups to have hired a professional for more specialized services such as building of patios, decks, walkways or outdoor kitchens.